BREAKING NEWS

Pasco Police using social media to connect with community

The Pasco Police Department is catching criminals and a lot of folks’ attention.

A video posted on the department’s Facebook page shows police catching a thief trying to run away in a golf cart. The man was pulled over for driving on the street illegally before fleeing. The whole incident was caught on a police car’s dash cam.

The real footage was edited into a satirical video meant to look like a movie trailer.

The video has already been watched more than 160,000 times and the Facebook page has more likes than Seattle's Police Department.

Sgt. Scott Warren said the Pasco Police Department uses social media as a tool to connect with the community and humanize police officers.

“A lot of people stereotype officers as these militaristic robots,” Warren said.

The viral golf cart video uses humor to steer away from the misconception that police are somehow different from regular citizens, he added.

Based on hundreds of comments posted below the video, it was widely accepted as hilarious. One person wrote, “LOL! I don’t think I’ve ever loved a page as much as I do this one.”

One still may ask whether it’s appropriate to make light of a crime.

Pasco Police adhere to a set of regulations that prevent officers from sharing material that may be found offensive or put an investigation at risk. As long the department uses common sense, it shouldn’t be a problem, Warren said.

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